Sector Round Up - 19/09/2017

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) on Orkney has produced the first hydrogen from tidal energy.

Electricity generated by Scotrenewables’ SR2000 and Tocardo’s TFS and T2 turbines was fed into an electrolyser at EMEC’s onshore station near its test site at the Fall of Warness, Eday.

Neil Kermode, Managing Director of EMEC, said: “Whilst the initial driver behind buying an electrolyser was to provide a storage solution to circumvent local grid constraints, the purchase has sparked off other pioneering projects around Orkney looking to use hydrogen in various means.”

The company also confirmed plans to apply for permission to convert two coal-fired boilers to run on gas, having already altered three of its coal-powered units to burn biomass.

Andy Koss, Chief Executive of Drax Power, said: “We are at the start of the planning process but if developed these options for gas and battery storage show how Drax could upgrade our existing infrastructure to provide capacity, stability and essential grid services, as we do with biomass.”